The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of a plant botanically of hybrid origin and known as Coreopsis. The new cultivar will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name ‘Sophia’. ‘Sophia’ is an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape and container use.
The new invention arose from an ongoing controlled breeding program in Hubbardston, Mass. The objective of the breeding program is to develop hybrid cultivars of Coreopsis with unique and superior garden attributes. In particular, to develop cultivars that are long-lived, sturdy, exhibit a true perennial habit and are cold hardy at least to U.S.D.A. Zone 5 in a wide range of flower colors and plant forms on plants that do not require vernalization to initiate flowering.
The Inventor made a controlled cross in August of 2011 in his test garden in Hubbardston, Mass. between an unnamed proprietary plant from the Inventor's breeding program, reference no. G 08-8 (not patented), as the female parent and pollen that was pooled from a variety of unnamed, proprietary plants (not patented) from his breeding program as the male parent (all with tube-shaped ray florets). The exact male parentage is therefore unknown. ‘Sophia’ was selected in September of 2012 as a single unique plant amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stem cuttings in Kensington, Conn. in September of 2012 by the Inventor. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.